Our Family Getaway at Clydey Cottages – A Review

We have just returned from a wonderful weekend in Pembrokeshire, staying at the ultra family, baby and toddler friendly Clydey Cottages.

The award winning family Clydey Cottages make some great claims.  Their website promises that their holiday cottages, which are dedicated to families, will ‘delight and entertain everyone’.  They even promise ‘that children will be enthralled and that adults can relax’.  Hmm – can they really offer this much?

Well, having now stayed there, on a wet and windy winter’s weekend, I can honestly say that they really do keep their promises.  So what is it about Clydey Cottages that makes them so ideal for families?  Read on for our review of our recent family stay at Clydey Cottages, Pembrokeshire.

A Review of our Family Stay at Clydey Cottages, Pembrokeshire

The Clydey Cottages – Home from Home Comfort

Clydey Cottages are set within the stunning welsh countryside.  They are nestled away and offer a remote escape from everyday life.  To access the cottages you do have to manoeuvre around some narrow single track country lanes, but what do you expect in the Country?  Despite their remoteness they also provide a great base to explore Pembrokeshire,  with all its wonderful beaches and small quaint villages a short drive away.

There are a cluster of 10 cottages at Clydey Cottages, set on 20 acres of shared grounds.  The cottages are all close together, but all private, and then the rest of the grounds are on your doorstep to explore.  The cottages range from one bedroom cottages through to the larger four bedroom 18^th Century farmhouse, which has its own private garden.  

We stayed in the Honeysuckle Cottage, which is one of their larger three bedroom family cottages.  The bonus for us was that in this cottage all of the bedrooms were on the first floor, which we prefer.  There was one large master bedroom with views over the countryside, a further double bedroom and a small bedroom with bunk beds.  The master bedroom and the lounge both have T.Vs and DVD players. You can rent DVDs from the office.

Downstairs was open plan with a a cozy lounge area, with a wood burning stove and comfy leather sofas.  There were a few steps up from the lounge to the fully equipped kitchen with a dining table seating six. They had proper wine glasses (yey) and even a full set of plastic plates and cutlery for little ones.  The table was covered with a fun wipeable tablecloth, essential for family eating. 

We were welcomed with a nice tray of coffees, teas and welshcakes and a letter welcoming us to the cottage.  There was also a file full of information, both on Clydey Cottages and on where to explore in the surrounding areas.  The cottage itself was perfect for us, it had a nice cottage feel but had all the modern finishing touches.  

Animal Feeding – From Pigs, to Ponies to Chickens

Every morning you can help the resident farmer to feed the animals on the farm.  This takes about an hour every morning and the kids (and adults) love it!  We got to feed the ponies, Shetland ponies, Alpacas, Pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs and finally the chickens.

A highlight for the boys was seeing the huge pig guzzle down his milk.  While my youngest preferred the fluffy bunnies.

We fed the animals in the pouring rain, after all they need feeding whatever the weather.  We were completely drenched but I’m so glad we’d remembered our wellies. 

What’s makes it so Family Friendly?

If you don’t want to leave the site, you really don’t have to as there is plenty to do.  There is a sizeable indoor heated swimming pool with hot tub and sauna.  The pool was great and they had plenty of floats and even swim vests and arm bands to borrow, if like us you have forgotten to bring them.

There is also an indoor games room with table football, air hockey and a pool table to entertain the older kids.  There are also plenty of family film DVDs to rent. 

Smaller kids will love the well equipped indoor soft play area.  This has soft play and a selection of toys, books and videos to keep them entertained.  They’ve even got a complimentary coffee and magazines here for the grown ups so you can relax while they play. 

For better weather days there is a small play courtyard with toddler cars and also playground area.  Then of course there’s the 20 acres to explore with a nice woodland walk to try which takes you down to the stream.

When it comes to families, they really have thought of everything.  Not only are the child facilities excellent, buy they also provide all the essential stuff for toddlers.  Our toddler had a proper wooden cot to sleep in.  They also equipped the cottage with baby gates across all stairs.  They will also provide high chairs, sterilisers, step ups, potties, monitors and toddler z-beds.

What’s in it for the Adults?

The peaceful setting, stunning views and the fact that the kids are happy make it pretty perfect for parents too.  But to top it off, there are also spa treatments available, which unfortunately I didn’t get to sample.  Maybe next time!  There is also an outdoor hot tub which overlooks the country views.

They have catered for the more practical things too.  You can buy a few essentials at the small on site shop, buy some Cook pre-prepared frozen meals to eat in your Cottage and there is a laundry.  We ate in one night and tried the COOK frozen meal of Beef Bourguignon, I mean who wants to cook when you’re away?  I have to say, it was really good and I’ll be trying them again.

If you fancy eating out, there is a nearby pub, just a short drive away.  The Nags Head is a lovely pub and serves up good gastro food.  There is also a nice childrens play area in the garden too.

You can have a look at our video below to see what it’s like:

Where to visit in the area

There are so many great places to visit with the kids in this part of Wales.  The nearby Newcastle Emlyn with its Castle ruins and tales of dragons is also a nice place to visit.  You can do a circular route around the castle which has signs telling of the story of the Dragon Emlyn.

We also visited The Welsh Wool Museum which was close by and an interesting way to spend a couple of hours. You can read more about that here.  The kids enjoyed it too as there were plenty of hands on activities for them to try.

The Welsh Wildlife Centre is about 15 minutes drive away and is a great place for spotting different species of birds.  You can also go canoeing on the river or take the bikes on the cycle track.

There are some lovely walks in the nearby Ffynonne Woods and Waterfall with 4 waterfalls to find.

When we stayed we visited Pembroke Castle, around an hours drive away, which was pretty amazing.  Did you know it was the birth place of Henry VIII?  We learnt this an and many other interesting facts on our visit there.

Folly Farm, which is also around an hour away is really fantastic.  This is a great full day out with the kids.  It has plenty of animals to see from the loveable giraffes and penguins to the roaring lions.  There are also loads of outdoor play areas and an indoor vintage fair.

Additional Information on Clydey Cottages:

Website: www.clydeycottages.co.uk

Address: Clydey Cottages Pembrokeshire, Penrallt, Lancych, Boncath, Pembrokeshire, SA37 0LW

Family Friendly – YES

Dog Friendly – No.  But their sister cottages at Fon Fawr are, and you still get to use all the facilities at Clydey.

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